In the Still of the Night
by MercedesBlakeney
Summary: Stellaria DeVera's journey at Hogwarts begins after she is found in the Forbidden Forest. She makes new friends, re-ignites an old rivalry, and uncovers some shocking details about her past. OliverxOC. Remus and Severus involved in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first story that is going to actually be longer than a one-shot! :) I have a few chapters already written and I plan on sticking with this one. Let's just hope the Muse doesn't abandon me. **

**This is NOT a RemusxOC romance. They have a different kind of relationship. This is a OliverxOC story. (Just because I love Oliver Wood and I always use Remus). FYI Oliver will be OOC, as in not _completely_ obsessed with Quidditch. Don't worry, it's still important to him. I did take a bunch of creative license on this story. If things don't make sense the first couple chapters, please ask questions or stick with it because I promise everything will eventually be explained!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of Harry Potter. If I did, you would never see me around in the muggle world :) Anything you don't recognize is mine. Oh, and I'm not getting paid for this even though I could really use the money haha.**

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><p>It all began in the still of the night.<p>

The full moon hung like a white orb in the dark, cloudy sky over the forest. All was quiet and still. All except for a solitary figure that was running madly through the woods. That figure belonged to Stellaria DeVera.

She couldn't stop running. To stop would mean almost certain death. It was good that her primal survival instincts had kicked in. Her lungs felt as if they were on fire, her throat was raw and parched, and her legs were about to give out. Perspiration dripped down her face and soaked her t-shirt. Her hands were clenched and clammy. She wished now more than ever that she had her wand. Oh, what she wouldn't give for it.

Terror gripped her heart and constricted her chest, making it hard to breathe. She had to find somewhere to hide. Seeing a tree not far away that looked fairly easy to climb, she made a beeline for it. Upon reaching the base of the huge tree, she grabbed the closest limb and heaved herself up. As her right leg began to come up, it scraped against a stray branch, ripping the jeans and leaving a long, jagged cut on her upper thigh. She gasped in pain, but continued to climb. When she reached a point where she could go no higher, she leaned against the trunk and dangled her legs over the branch. The gash in her leg was bleeding heavily and was beginning to sting. With both hands, she applied pressure to the wound and concentrated on steadying her breathing.

Then, she heard it.

A long, piercing howl echoed through the woods. She could tell it was getting closer. She closed her eyes and tried to escape the reality of what was happening. Her mind began to drift to happier times and she eventually forgot the reality that she was all alone, unloved, and about to die.

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><p>"Oliver! Oliver, no fair!" yelled the six-year old girl to her playmate, who was over for the afternoon. He was riding a toy broom and she was struggling in vain to keep up with him.<p>

She had black hair and almond-shaped, dark brown eyes. Her skin was medium and she was smaller build. Her friend was lean and pretty tall for a six-year old. He had dark ginger hair and a thick Scottish accent.

"Is too fair, Rene!" he yelled back as he stopped and hovered slightly above the ground. When she caught up, she was breathing heavily and there was a scowl on her flushed face.

"Is not!" she cried, stomping her little foot. The sight of the girl, cheeks aflame, hair falling out of its place, arms crossed, and brows furrowed, caused Oliver to laugh.

"What's so funny?" she demanded.

"You," he said simply, eyes bright with amusement. Rene's frown morphed into a pout and then a puppy face with her bottom lip quivering. "Fine, you can have a turn," he relented.

The puppy face immediately turned to one of happiness and she clapped her hands, bouncing up and down. He touched back to the ground and handed her the broom. She excitedly mounted it with ease and, after sending Oliver a look of gratitude, she kicked off.

A cry of glee and pure delight escaped her mouth as she flew toward her house. Oliver followed not too far behind her.

"Mum! Mum!" she yelled as she neared the house. "Mum, look at-"

She was cut off as a massive explosion from the direction of the house hurled her backwards. She met the ground forcefully with a thud, which knocked the wind out of her.

"Oliver?" she whispered as she fell out of consciousness.

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><p><strong>So what did you think? Keep going or forget about it? Please, please review! Reviews make me do my spaz-out version of the happy dance :D<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

Another high-pitched howl sounded through the night, bringing Stellaria back to reality and instilling gut-churning fear. Her breathing was shallow and came in short, quick gasps. She froze when she saw a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye. She focused her vision to where she had seen the motion.

"What is that?" she barely breathed out. The moonlight shone through the trees, illuminating sections of the forest floor. It was a strange-looking creature. Very large, standing on its two hind legs, but it was crouching. It had lots of hair covering the length of its body. It wasn't almost canine-like, but not completely. Almost human in its stance. Just then it howled again and she realized at that moment what it was.

Moon, a canine biped, howling. It was a werewolf.

At that realization, she nearly fell out of the tree. She groaned at her awful luck. Thrown out of her foster house, left to die in the Forbidden Forest, and trying to survive a werewolf all in the same day.

"Merlin, take me now," she beseeched, lifting her eyes to the heavens in supplication. But instead of a transient being, she was met face-to-face with a 2 foot long spider. It hung a foot away from her, snapping its menacing pincers. She tried to scuttle away from it and lost her balance. As she felt gravity pulling her toward the ground, her life flashed before her eyes. She hit the ground and instantaneously blacked out.

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><p><em>"Rene? Rene? Rene?"<em> a voice kept calling to her. It was loud and echo-ey. It sounded so close and yet so far away. Her head was throbbing and all she wanted to do was tell the voice to go away.

_"Rene? Rene! Serenity!"_ it yelled more persistently. She willed the voice to go away. Why did her head hurt? Who was that saying her name over and over? Why couldn't she think straight?

What happened?

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><p><strong>Please Review! I don't know what you guys are thinking unless you leave one! :)<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

Stellaria woke to the feeling of something cold and wet pressed against her hand. She moaned and regretted it as her chest cried out in protest. Her body was splayed on the ground below the tree she had climbed. After a quick check, she figured she only had a couple broken ribs and a broken arm.

The wet and cold thing on her broken arm began to work its way up toward her shoulder. She opened her eyes slowly and carefully looked down to see what it was. She immediately wished she hadn't when her eyes came in contact with a pair of big, amber ones only a few inches away. She tried to move away, but it began to growl. She stopped and the werewolf stopped growling. Again, she tried to move her arm, but it began snarling at her, baring its rows of sharp teeth. She froze and waited for it to settle down again. When she tried to shift her arm once more, it snapped its jaws at her.

She whimpered in fear and the werewolf looked at her oddly, she thought. Then, after a few seconds it nuzzled its nose against her arm softly. She was dumbfounded and unsure what to do. Almost as if sensing her fear, it slightly nudged her arm at the fracture with its paw.

"It's almost as if you know it's broken," she said softly to the furry creature. It just stared and she sighed. "I must be crazy. I'm talking to a werewolf, half expecting it to respond." She laughed softly to herself and looked straight ahead into the sky.

Then, it padded around her and curled up next to her side. It laid it's head on it's paws and looked at her with its big eyes.

"You are an odd creature," she said, speaking directly to the werewolf again. "If I ever get out of here alive, I'll be sure to tell everyone what I've learned about werewolves." She looked back to the stars and began to count them. Before she knew it, she had fallen fast asleep.

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><p>"Rene! Wake up, please!" yelled Oliver hysterically to his little friend. "Rene!" His head dropped and a tear trickled down his cheek. What should he do now? He couldn't wake Serenity up. Should he try to get help or stay there? He sat on the ground next to her and pulled his knees up to his chest.<p>

Just then, her eyes began to flutter.

"Rene? Rene! Come on, wake up!" he pleaded. She opened her eyes and looked at him. Her gaze was unfocused and she looked confused.

"Oliver? Wh-what happened?" she asked.

"I don't know. Your house just like…blew up!" he exclaimed, pointing to the burnt remains of the house. "And you landed here and I couldn't wake you up! It was so scary! I thought you were dead," he admitted quietly.

"I'm ok. My head just hurts real bad. Where's my mum?" she asked, sitting up.

"I-I" he faltered. "I haven't seen her." Rene gave him a look of complete confusion.

"She hasn't come out to check on me yet?"

"No, no one has come."

"She didn't?" That was no good. Where was Mum? Rene had a bad headache and all she wanted was a cup of Mum's Special tea and to go to sleep.

"Come on, let's go find her," Oliver suggested. Hand in hand they walked over to what was left of the house.

"Mum? Are you ok? Mum?"

"Mrs. Just! Mrs. Just!" Oliver called out. "I'll go check over here behind the house."

"I'll go to the front," she replied. She walked over the rubble and recognized bits and pieces of items from the kitchen or the living room or the dining room. "Mum? Mum?"

She turned the corner to the front of the little house and stopped dead in her tracks. There not 5 feet away was her mother lying lifeless amidst the charred debris. Her beautiful hazel eyes were glazed over and a little trail of blood had made its way from the corner of her mouth down her neck. Her long, blond hair was splayed out around her. She had been crushed underneath the large wooden cabinet in the dining room.

Rene wanted to run to her Mum and help her, she wanted to run away from the sight and never look back, and she wanted to cry for help. But she could make no sound, could not move one inch. She was frozen with shock. Her brain and body seemed to be in overload. Her eyes began to cloud with tears, her chest tightened painfully with an ache that time would prove to never leave.

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><p><strong>Please Review! I'll love you forever! :)<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

When the sunlight from the early morning hit Stellaria's face, she woke up and was pleasantly surprised. She wasn't lying on the ground in the middle of the forest and she wasn't in so much pain.

Wait, where was she? She shot up in bed and looked around. It was a nice, large room with plenty of beds like hers lined up in a couple rows. The room was empty save herself and she wondered how she had gotten there. Her broken arm had been healed and bandaged up and persumably her ribs had been fixed, too. She could breathe with ease, pain-free. Laying back down on the pillows, she decided to wait for someone to appear.

"Where am I?" she asked to no one in particular as she examined the bandage on her arm.

"You're in the Hospital Wing," said a calm voice. Stella's head snapped up toward the direction the voice came from. She was just looking around the room and no one was there. How did she not notice him? By the doorway, she saw an elderly-looking wizard with a long silver beard and a pair of half-moon spectacles. Stella shrunk back in fear as he began to approach her. "There's no need to be afraid, child. No one shall harm you here."

"Who are you?" she asked timidly, still wary.

"I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry-"

"Wait, a minute. I'm at Hogwarts?" she exclaimed.

"Yes, indeed," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "How is it that you know about Hogwarts, Miss…? I'm terribly sorry I didn't quite catch your name," he said, extending his hand for a shake.

"Oh, right! sorry," she mumbled as she grasped his hand. "I'm Stellaria DeVera. But you can call me Stella."

"It is nice to meet you, Stella."

"As to your previous question, I heard of Hogwarts from my mother, who always talked about Hogwarts. She went here actually."

"Ah, I see. What are your foster sibling's names? Perhaps I knew her." Dumbledore looked at her with curiosity. Where had this girl come from? He did not know of anyone at the school with the last name 'DeVera' and he had been there for a great deal of time.

Stella's countenance fell and looked troubled for a moment. She almost looked as if she was contemplating what to say. Dumbledore patiently waited for her to speak.

"I- well, she's," she stammered.

Just then, a woman bustled over.

"Good heavens, you're awake!" she exclaimed. She grabbed the wrist of Stella's uninjured arm and checked her pulse. "How do you feel? Are you in any pain?"

"No, none," she said somewhat distracted. Who was she? She looked like the school nurse or a Healer.

"Good. Well, if you need anything just ring your little bell," the nurse said, pointing toward a tiny hand bell on the bedstand. "I'll be back to check on you later."

"Thanks," she murmured.

"That's Madam Pomfrey, the head Nurse here in the Hopsital Wing," Dumbledore filled in, seeing her confusion. "She is an excellent nurse, it seems she is just… a little busy right now."

"Um, Headmaster Dumbledore… Sir," she stumbled over her words.

"Yes?" he asked politely.

"How exactly did I get here? Last I remember I was in a giant forest with a… Nevermind," she hastily finished. Rene rethought telling him about her encounter with the werewolf yet. After all, they had only just met, and she didn't want him to think she was crazy or anything.

"All shall be revealed in good time, child," he soothed. "Now, rest." He tilted his head toward her and with that gracefully walked out of the room.

Stella thought about what he had said and eventually took his advice to rest.

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><p>Rene didn't know how long she was standing there until Oliver found her. He had been calling for her several times with no response, so he went to look for her. He had found her just standing there as if time had stood still. He approached her slowly and gently tried to get her attention.<p>

"Rene? Rene?"

No response.

He tried again, but to no avail. Then he laid a hand on her shoulder and that shook her from her trance-like state. She turned to him and her appearance worried the boy. There were tears in her eyes and she was having a hard time breathing.

"Rene, what's wrong?" he asked concerned.

She lifted up a hand and pointed directly in front of her. He followed her finger's invisible line and saw what had shaken Rene up so badly. He gulped and closed his eyes. What would happen to Rene now? He opened his eyes when he heard her sniffling. "Let's go, we don't have to stay here," he said pulling her by the hand from the gruesome scene. She didn't protest and let herself be led. They walked to the side of the road by the driveway. "Let's wait here for someone to come," he said. "Someone will come soon."

She nodded and they sat by the side of the road. They didn't talk, they just waited. Waited and held hands.

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><p><strong>As always, I would love a review! Even if you don't like it, tell me what it is you don't like.<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: In this chapter, the **_bold and italicized words_** are **_Stellaria's thoughts. _**Enjoy!

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><p><em><strong>What the…?<strong>_

"It's _her_, Dumbledore! I know it," an unfamiliar, silky, baritone voice whispered loudly, waking Stella up. She remained still and listened in on the conversation.

"I know she is very similar, Severus, but-"

"She's not just similar! She IS!" the unknown voice urged.

_**Are they talking about me? "She is"? Is who?**_

"Is who?" asked a second unknown male voice, that sounded to have just arrived.

_**My question exactly.**_

"The girl you found in the Forbidden Forest," the elder wizard replied hastily, cutting the first unknown man off. "Right, Severus?" he asked pointedly.

"Yes," the man named Severus said between gritted teeth.

_**How does he know who I am?**_

"How is she?" asked the third man.

"She is fine, Remus. Healing well according to Poppy," replied Dumbledore gaily. "It is a good thing you found her and brought her in.""I know," said Remus, a hint of sadness in his voice. "She wouldn't have had a chance in the forest."

_**Hey! I did pretty well by myself, thank you very much! I even befriended a werewolf. **_

"We'll let her rest and give her some time. When she's ready, we will talk with her."

_**Oh, great.**_

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><p>"Rene, look!" exclaimed Oliver as he tugged her sleeve excitedly. She looked toward the direction he was facing and saw a man by the house. He was standing by Rene's mum, bent over her. "Who is he?"<p>

"I don't know." She didn't really know him, but he did look familiar.

"Let's go find out," Oliver said casually.

"Wait! What if he's a bad guy? What if he's the one who exploded my house?" she asked nervously. Oliver took a closer look at the man. He didn't look like a bad guy. Actually, he looked like he was crying over Mrs. Just's body.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you," he assured and they walked over to the man. "Excuse me?" Oliver asked boldly.

The man looked up from the lifeless body he was cradling in his arms. He looked at the two children in confusion.

"Serenity?" he croaked out. Rene looked terrified but nodded her head. "You're alive? I-I thought-" his voice cracked. Oliver and Rene looked at each other. Who was this guy?

He gently laid Rene's mum back down, stood up and approached them. Rene was hiding behind Oliver, who stood courageously, ready to take action at any moment. As the man stepped in front of them, Rene peered out from behind Oliver's shoulder. The man got down on his knees so that he was eye-level with her and held out a hand. After giving him a wary look, she reached for it with her smaller one and moved to stand in front of him.

She looked into his eyes. They were black and shiny from his tears. She turned her gaze to the horizon behind him. He looked into her eyes. They were sad-looking and had a distant look.

He put his other large, pale hand on her shoulder.

"My name is Theseus Prince. I am-was a… friend of your Mum's" he gently explained. "Are you alright, Rene?"

She nodded but continued to look past him with a blank expression.

"Who's your friend here?" he asked, in an effort to engage her in the conversation.

No answer.

"Rene? Serenity?"

Oliver elbowed her, bringing her from her own world back to the present.

"I'm here to take you back with me. I'll take you somewhere you will be safe."

She didn't move. She was leaving? What about her Mum? And her belongings? Who would take care of her? Her brain began to slowly process what he was saying,

"Where?" she asked quietly.

"Back to Headquarters for a while until we find you a suitable living situation." Theseus shook his head slightly. She didn't seem to be compartmentalizing this very well.

"What about me?" piped in Oliver. Theseus turned to him with a small smile.

"Your parents are already waiting for you and will take you home when we arrive."

Oliver looked satisfied with that.

"Come along, little one," he said as he stood and picked up Rene. He walked back over to the now cold corpse. "Say goodbye to your Mum for the last time," he said softly.

She slowly approached the body and bent down next to it.

"Bye, Mum," she said flatly, kissing her on the cheek. She turned back to Theseus and raised her arms for him to pick her up. He did so and she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, laying her head on his shoulder.

"Goodbye, my dearest Ariadne," Theseus whispered with a tear in his eye. "Until we meet again."

He took Oliver's hand and they apparated away.

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><p><strong>Want to make a difference? Change a life? Here's how: Review! Thanks for reading!<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

"Ah, Miss DeVera!" Dumbledore greeted, entering through the portrait hole of a small suite. "It is good to see you back on your feet."

"Hello, Headmaster," she smiled.

"Please, call me 'Dumbledore'," he insisted. "Are your new rooms to your liking?"

She had just been given some private quarters the day before and was still settling in. It had a nice, large bedroom, a living room, a kitchenette, and a full bathroom.

"They're very nice. I absolutely love them," she gushed. "Thank you so much.""You are most welcome." He paused a moment and looked at her with compassion before continuing. "I am sure you are aware of the nature of my visit this afternoon."

Of course Stella knew why. He wanted to "talk".

"Yes, I am. In fact, I can't say I haven't been expecting you," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Splendid!" he cried, clasping his hands together. "Now, for the first question I suppose I shall start with this: From where did you come?"

"The forest?" she replied, unsure of how specific his question was.

"Oh, yes, the forest to be sure, but before then from where did you come?"

"Well, the last thing I remember, I was in my foster house about to settle down for the night," she explained.

"How did you come to be in the Forbidden Forest?" he enquired, sitting down and helping himself to some of the butterscotch candies on the coffee table.

She scrunched her face in concentration. Her mind was blank; she couldn't remember.

"I-I don't know, Headmaster-I mean Dumbledore!… Sir," she panicked.

"Calm down, child," he said comforted. "It is not that important. What happened when you were in the forest?"

"Like I said, I don't remember how I got there, but I do remember running from something…" She stopped to try and think about what had happened. "I ran up a tree to get away from whatever was chasing me. Then, I fell off the tree because a massive spider tried to kill me. You should've seen it! It was huge!"

"I'm sure it was. Creatures in the Forbidden Forest can be quite intimidating," Dumbledore agreed.

"It was like this big!" she said emphatically, showing him just how big by extending her arms. "It was like about to eat me or something probably and so I tried to crawl away, but I lost my balance and fell. I don't know what happened after that because I blacked out. But after that…Oh, yeah! It was a werewolf! That was what I was running from! It was right next to me sniffing my arm when I woke up."

"I see.""You probably won't believe me, but it was actually really nice! I thought I was going to die, but it didn't bite me or anything and it kept me company. I guess I fell asleep at some point because I woke up and I was here," she finished with a big smile.

"One of the Professors found you in the forest and brought you here," he explained. "His name is Professor Remus Lupin."

Oh, yes the one, whom she had heard in the Hospital Wing.

"That was very kind of him. I would like to meet with him sometime," she said. "If that's alright, of course."

"Oh, by all means! I'm sure he won't mind in the least," Dumbledore assured.

"Great!"

"I will let him know of your interest in meeting with him. In the meantime, I must go now. Being a Headmaster is a lot harder than it looks you know," he said with a wink as he grabbed one last butterscotch candy from the little tin. "You are welcome to stay here for as long as you like."

Stella could hardly believe her ears!

"Really? Oh, thank you, thank you so much!" she shouted, bouncing up and down with joy.

"You're most welcome, my dear," he said, bowing his head slightly before leaving through the portrait hole from which he had come.

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><p>Rene looked around the room from her safe perch in Theseus' arms. It was a small, sparsely lit room and it was crowded with people. Lots of faces she did not recognize peered at her through the darkness. She clung tighter to Theseus' neck and buried her face in his neck.<p>

"Oliver!" yelled his mother as she and his father ran over to him. "You're alive! Thank the gods!"

Oliver leapt into his parents' arms and they whisked him home.

"Hello," said a gentle voice as a hand came to rest on Rene's shoulder. Rene peeked out through Theseus' long black hair at the stranger. The woman looked like she was her mum's age and had red hair and green eyes. "Are you Serenity? My name is Lily."

Rene hid her face again in Theseus' neck. Theseus shifted her in his arms to give a better view of her to the people in the room.

"She's beautiful," said a man with dark, messy hair and glasses. He was carrying a baby in his arms, who was maybe a couple months old. Lily took the little boy from her husband.

"How old are you, Rene?" asked Lily. Rene lifted her head and turned to her.

"I just turned six," she mumbled.

"Wow! You're so grown up!" Lily praised. "Why don't you come play with me and I'll introduce you to Fred and George?"

She nodded after a second's consideration and left the room hand in hand with Lily.

"She's so precious," said a thirty-something, heavily pregnant woman also with red hair.

"The question is, Molly," started Dumbledore, "What do we do with her?"

"Is there no other family that could take her in?"

"No," said Theseus with a sad shake of the head.

"How about you take her in, Theseus?" suggested Molly.

"M-Me? No. I don't think that's a good idea."

"Nonsense, she's your-"

"No," he stated firmly. "She wouldn't be safe with me for long. Next week is my induction… All I want is for her to be safe."

"Well, then, if safety is our main priority, our only option is to place her with a family," said Dumbledore sadly.

"She should be in a family that's at least half magic, so that she would be safe if she was ever found."

"Arthur can cross reference families that are in the Ministry's files under adoption as well as those who applied for adoption in the muggle world," suggested Molly.

"I suppose I can," pondered Arthur. "After all, Muggle studies is my favorite subject. Would be fascinating to see the similarities to their adoption process and ours."

"Fantastic!" exclaimed Dumbledore. "Send me the files of good candidates and I can see which will make the best home for Rene."

Arthur nodded.

"In the meanwhile," he continued, turning to Theseus, "I don't suppose you would mind watching her until other living situations can be made."

"I-I well…"

"Lily and James would be happy to take her I'm sure if you decline, right, James?"

"Absolutely," James replied.

"That shall not be necessary. I will take her myself, but only for a couple days. I want her moved someplace she will be protected as soon as possible," Theseus emphasized, laying down his terms.

"I'll start looking tomorrow morning," said Arthur.

"Everything's settled then," Dumbledore declared. "It's getting late, we should all go home and get some rest."

"Wait!" Theseus cried out. "What about-?"

"Don't worry. I will go and take care of Ariadne's body. Take Serenity to your house. I'm sure she's very tired."

Theseus nodded and, after Dumbledore had apparated, went to go find her.

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><p><strong>So my thinking is that Theseus is about 23, Ariadne was 23, Lily and James are about 21 and Harry's 2 months old. Oliver and Rene are 6. So for now at least age-wise you'll find find it to be pretty canon.<strong>

**Please Review!**


	7. Chapter 7

Stella got up from the comfy armchair in which she was sitting to answer the door. It was later the same day Dumbledore had visited. Surely, it wasn't him again. So then, who was it? She cracked the door open and peeked out through the tiny gap.

"Hello," said a cheerful, relatively young man. He wore some shabby-looking clothes and had flecks of grey throughout his hair, but he was only in his early thirties. She recognized the voice immediately as the one from the Hospital Wing belonging to a man named Remus. "I'm Professor Remus Lupin, but I suppose you can just call me Remus since I am not your professor."

She opened the door all the way and repositioned herself so that she was standing directly in front of him.

"It's nice to meet you, Remus. I'm Stellaria, but please call me Stella," she requested. "Would you like to come in?"

"Sure," he said with a smile. Stella stepped aside to allow him entrance.

"Can I get you anything?" she asked politely.

"No, no," he hastily declined. "Actually, Professor Dumbledore said you wished to see me, so here I am," he said, stealing a quick wink at her. She blushed and smiled.

"I just wanted to thank you in person for saving my life," she said shyly.

"It was my pleasure. I'm glad you weren't seriously injured."

"Me, too," she laughed.

Then silence ensued.

"So, how did you find me?" she finally asked.

"Oh, well, I found you lying on the forest floor. I tried waking you, but you're a pretty heavy sleeper," he joked. They laughed and she resumed the conversation.

"Was I alone?"

"Yes," he answered seeming confused. "I didn't leave anyone else back there, did I?"

"No," she chuckled. "It's just… I thought… Nevermind."

"No, please, what were you about to say?" he asked interestedly.

"It's nothing, really, It's stupid."

"I highly doubt that. Come on, love, let's hear it," he coaxed.

"Fine, but don't laugh," she warned. "I thought there was a werewolf with me, but I guess I just imagined it."

He didn't laugh. In fact, far from that.

"Oh, well," he cleared his throat, "I mean I suppose it's certainly possible. You know, there are plenty of creatures out there in the Forest," he muttered.

"Yeah, I don't know maybe it was just a big dog or a regular wolf," she suggested.

"Perhaps, perhaps. So," he said changing the subject. "I was hoping you would be willing to accompany me to the Great Hall for Dinner."

"That would be fantastic," she replied.

"Shall I come here to escort you at around 6?"

"Sounds good to me," she said happily.

"Alright, I shall see you then, Stella," he said with a smile and he left without another word.

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><p>When Theseus apparated the little girl to his small house at Spinner's End, she was already half asleep. So he quickly transfigured the nightstand in his bedroom into a child-sized bed and gently laid her down for the night. She nuzzled her head into the pillow as he tucked her into the warmness of the soft blanket.<p>

"Goodnight, little one," he whispered, removing a few loose strands of hair from her face and placing them behind her ear. He smoothed her hair one last time before kissing her lightly on the forehead and retreating from his bedroom.

He went to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of butterbeer. He wanted to down some fire whiskey but he knew that it would not be a prudent choice considering the circumstances. He felt badly for the girl. Her mother had just died, her home was destroyed, and she had nowhere to go. Her father was not in the picture, but it was for the best. What would happen to her now? She must be placed into a foster home, but the question was whether she should stay in this world or be sent into the muggle world. She would be at greater risk should she stay in the wizarding world, but she would definitely be missing out if she was sent out of it. Theseus decided he had had enough of thinking about it for the night and went to his room. He quickly checked on the still sleeping Serenity and then slipped into the bathroom for a quick shower.

When he had showered, changed, and brushed his teeth, he climbed into bed. He had been laying there for no more than five minutes when he heard whimpering coming from the bed next to his. He leaned over to see a still sleeping Rene but she was apparently having a nightmare or something. She cried out and tossed and turned in the bed. Theseus got up and went around to her side. He reached out to touch her forehead and found it to be sweaty and warm.

"Rene? Serenity?" he called. "Wake up, love," he said as he gently shook her shoulders. Her eyes fluttered and she looked around, momentarily confused, before she began to cry.

"I want my mum!" she sobbed. Theseus carefully picked her up and cradled her.

"I know you do," he soothed. "I know." She cried uncontrollably, her breaths coming in sporadic gasps and the occasional hiccup. All Theseus could do was rock her back and forth in his arms and whisper words of comfort in her ear. Eventually, she calmed down and transitioned into a dazed state. She twirled her fingers in her hair as her eyelids began to droop. Theseus went to put her back in the bed but she became unstill when he did so. He sighed and looked at her.

"It couldn't hurt for one night," he relented. He tucked her into the covers of the bed alongside him and she curled up into his chest. Within a few moments he heard her steady breathing and, comforted by the notion that she had fallen asleep, drifted off, too.

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><p><strong>Reviews would be cool :)<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

Remus held out his arm for her to loop hers in. She did so and they walked to the Great Hall. He was right on time to pick her up. Upon entering through the large doors, she stopped and looked around the room full of students. Where was she supposed to sit?

Remus patted her hand and they resumed walking. He brought her to a seat at the staff table and took the empty seat next to her.

"There are so many people," she whispered in awe.

"Indeed," Remus acknowledged. After putting some food onto her plate, he put some on his own. "Do you know into which House you would like to be sorted?"

"House?" she asked confused. "I have a set of chambers already."

"I meant school House," he chuckled. "No one has explained the system to you?"

She shook her head. "Do I get to pick my house?"

"Yes and no," he said slowly. "The Sorting Hat places you in a House, but he does take into consideration your requests."

"What are the four Houses?"

"There are four Houses," he said motioning toward the four long tables that filled the Hall. "Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff. Ravenclaw, normally for the singularly gifted in intellectual areas. Very clever bunch. Gryffindor, for the courageous and brave. They have the heart of a lion. Slytherin is reserved for pure-blood families of society, and let me tell you that I have only met one Slytherin, who had a streak of good in him," he whispered. She giggled in conspiracy. "Oh, and last but not least, Hufflepuff. You'll meet all sorts of people there. It's got a reputation as an outcast house, but I've met some great witches and wizards from Hufflepuff."

"I'll probably go to Hufflepuff," she said after a moment's consideration. "I don't think I belong anywhere to be quite honest."

"Nonsense," he said. "Everyone has a place. I'm sure the Sorting Hat will place you in the right one."

She nodded with a smile. They both continued eating and talking, while unbeknownst to them, the dark and moody Potions professor was glaring at them from the opposite end of the table.

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><p>It was dark and cold as Theseus walked through the city even though it was hardly evening. Little Rene held his hand tightly as they roamed the streets. She had a small bag with some of her belongings that Theseus had managed to salvage from the remains of her house. A picture of her and her mum, a teddy bear, some clothes, and a few books.<p>

Over the past week, the two had grown close, much to Theseus' reluctance. But the girl was so charming and sweet, he couldn't deny her. But Dumbledore had found a family for her to be placed with and tonight was the night he would drop her off. He hadn't told her so as not to ruin her day, but his heart constricted in his chest when he imagined the look on her face as he left. He had made sure to make the day extra special. He took her to the muggle zoo, the park and the ice cream shop before going to a very nice restaurant for dinner. The peals of her laughter and the smiles of delight on her face had made Theseus happy. Now as he thought of them and what he was about to do, his eyes began to water.

Rene noticed and gave him a confused look. Hadn't he had a good day like her? She had had a wonderful day, hardly thinking about how much she missed her mum at all. As their arms swung in unison to the pace of their walking, she tugged his hand and he looked down.

"What's wrong?" she asked innocently, her eyes gazing up at him with sadness.

"Nothing's wrong," he assured her, wiping the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Then why were you crying?" she continued.

"I was just thinking about some happy memories, love," he responded nonchalantly.

"But, why do happy memories make you cry?" she asked. Her mind couldn't comprehend why a good time would make you sad.

"Because," he said, stopping and stooping to her level, "good times can not last forever, and when they are gone you miss them." Now she understood. It was like when she thought about mum. They were of times when she was happy, but sometimes they made her sad.

"It's ok," she said, giving him a hug. "I feel like that when I think about my mum. It's ok to be sad sometimes."

Theseus smiled to himself. She was like her mother in the aspect that she always thought about others.

"I know, little one," he said squeezing her tight before letting her go. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she said simply as they began to walk again.

After a while, Rene noticed that she did not recognize where they were.

"This doesn't look like your neighborhood," she said softly. Just then Theseus pulled into the walkway of one of the houses.

"This is where you'll be staying," he informed her with a small smile.

"You mean I'm not going back to your house?" she asked slightly alarmed.

"I'm afraid not. It's not safe for you at my house and as much as I'd love for to stay there," he said, tousling her hair before sobering up again, "you can't."

"But why not?" she whined. "What did I do wrong? I'm really sorry and I won't do it again! Please let me stay with you!"

Her pleas nearly broke Theseus' heart. He pulled her into his embrace and kissed the top of her head.

"Serenity, you didn't do anything wrong. Nothing whatsoever. You've made me happier than I have been in a long time," he admitted. "But it's not safe for you to stay with me. Not now."

"Will you come to visit me?"

"I don't think that's such a good idea, love. But I'd like for nothing more than that."

"Will I see you again sometime?" she asked hopefully.

"I don't know, little one," he sighed. "But this family is really nice. They will take good care of you, I promise."

He walked her up to the front door. He pulled her into one final embrace.

"I love you, Serenity. I'm so sorry," he said with hears in his eyes. Before she could say "For what?", he pointed his wand at her.

"Obliviate," he said and she fell limply into his arms. Theseus knocked on the door and waited. After a few moments a man opened the door.

"You must be the social service agent here to drop off the foster child," he said. "Please come in."

Theseus stepped inside, still cradling the unconscious child. "Jason, who is that at the door?" came a woman's voice as the owner appeared from the next room over. "Are you the social service agent? I'm Diana Windhaven and this is my husband Jason."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Theseus Prince. This is Stellaria DeVera," he said, using the alias given to him by Dumbledore.

"Oh, she's so adorable," Diana squealed. "Honey, would you take her to her bedroom?" Jason took the sleeping girl in his arms and went to put her down.

"This is hers," Theseus said as he handed her the small bag of Rene's possesions.

"Is that all?" Diana asked, surprised.

"Yes, most everything she had was destroyed in the fire that killed her mother." Diana shook her head sadly.

"Poor child," she clucked.

"She's been quite traumatized and so we gave her some medicine to calm her down," Theseus told her. "She won't remember much if anything of what happened." Jason returned and stood beside his wife.

"Is there anything else we need to do, Mr. Prince?" asked Jason.

"No, nothing. I trust she'll be in good hands now," said Theseus with a smile. "I do have one favor to ask though. Would you please give this to her when she's older? It's from her father," he said handing them an envelope with the words "To my Dearest Daughter" written on it.

"Of course," replied Diana. "We'd love to."

"Thank you. Now, I must be off," he said shaking both of the Windhaven's hands. "Please take good care of her.""We will," Jason assured.

With that, Theseus walked back out into the darkness to his home with a heavy heart and empty arms, remembering Serenity's words of encouragement: It's ok to be sad sometimes.

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><p><strong>Reviews are love!<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: From now to the foreseeable future, there is just this one plotline instead of two because the main point of what you needed from the secondary plotline was revealed in the last chapter :)**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>After dinner, Remus excused himself to go talk to Dumbledore for a moment. It was only then that Stella noticed Severus.<p>

He was staring at her but hadn't seemed to notice that she had seen him. He had a far-off distant look in his eyes as if he was remembering something. Stella felt compassion for him. He looked so sad and withdrawn, lonely and angry at the world. Whatever for, she did not know, but she knew what it was like to feel alone and unloved. It hurt and so she had a special respect for the suffering.

His exterior wore a hard outer shell of masked emotions, but his eyes were alight with fire. This fire however did not have any warmth or joy nor was it simply a flickering flame. It seemed to be a consuming fire of sadness and pain that consumed everything in its path. She recognized the look as she had seen it in her own eyes often before.

The anguish intensified for a split second before altogether disappearing, leaving in its wake unrestricted anger.

_**Oh, shit! He's caught me staring at him,**_ Stella mentally panicked.

But upon closer inspection, he wasn't looking _at_ her; he was looking _past _her. She swiveled in her seat to see Remus approaching her.

"Professor Dumbledore said you can go to his office now for the Sorting," he informed her cheerfully. "I'll escort you to his office."

"OK, great. Thanks," she said, rising when Remus pulled her chair out for her.

She stole a quick glance at the man who seemed to be plagued by inner turmoil. His scowl had grown even bigger, the creases in his brows like deep trents along his face.

_**I wonder what life's done to him to make him that way**_, she wondered. She'd have to ask Remus later.

"Remus?" she whispered tugging his shirt sleeve, "who's that over there?" She motioned with a small gesture of her head to where the sour-faced professor sat.

"Hm? Oh, him?" he whispered back. "That's Severus Snape, Professor of Potions and Head of Slytherin House."

"Oh, I see what you mean about Slytherins not being the most friendly bunch," she said very seriously. Remus laughed a little too loudly causing the remaining people in the room to stare. They quickly exited and he began to lead her to Dumbledore's office.

"Actually," said Remus, still smiling, "that nasty-looking git was the one Slytherin with the streak of good about whom I was talking."

"Oh," was all she could say. "Then I don't think I want to meet the ones without any good."

Remus laughed again.

"I certainly can't blame you for that," he admitted. "Unfortunately, if you become a Gryffindor then you'll have to share a lot of classes with them. And personally, I think you'll be a Gryffindor," he said confidently.

"What makes you say that? I'm not brave in the least!"

"I'd say running around the Forbidden Forest at night alone requires a great deal of bravery, wouldn't you?"

She shrugged.

"I think I'll be a Hufflepuff. I don't really belong anywhere," she said wistfully.

"Come now, that's not true. You'd make a fair Ravenclaw, too," he countered. "I saw that half-finished copy of 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' sitting on your coffee table."

"You've read 'The Scarlet Pimpernel'?" she asked excitedly.

"Indeed. It's one of my muggle favorites along with 'A Tale of Two Cities' and 'The Count of Monte Christo'." he confided.

"Same here!"

"You're parents must be proud to have such a well-read daughter," he praised. Remus noticed Stella's brows furrow a little.

"Well, I guess my foster parents are proud of me," she said quietly.

"You live with a foster family?" Remus asked, taken aback. She nodded.

"I've lived with them since I was like six," she said. "They're pretty cool. I mean, they're nice and they take care of me, but they've never let themselves get too close to me. I guess it's just because they were afraid I would get adopted and it would hurt too much to be too close to me," she said sadly, avoiding eye contact. "But even now that I'm too old to be adopted in the muggle world, they still won't allow themselves to open up. It's ok though. They have always treated me well."

Remus inspected her closely. His position as a teacher gave him the ability to read his students quite well. What he saw in Stella was loneliness and a desire to truly belong somewhere. He could tell she craved parental love, not just affection. He made a mental note to make sure Hogwarts felt like her place to belong and to talk with Dumbledore later.

"Here we are," he said brightly as they reached the entrance to the Headmaster's office. He gave the password "Spice gumdrops" and the statue moved aside.

"Ah, Remus, my boy, and Stellaria, please do come in and make yourselves right at home," the elder wizard greeted warmly. "How are you, my dear?"

"I'm great. Thanks. You?"

"Splendid," he said in a friendly tone. "Lemon drop?" He offered her one of the sour candies to which she graciously refused.

"Whoa! Is that a phoenix?" she exclaimed upon seeing the rare bird that sat on it's stand.

"Yes. His name is Fawkes," said Dumbledore, stroking the bird's colorful feathers.

"I've never seen a real one before," she said in amazement.

"He has been a good and faithful friend. Our magical creature friends often are," he said thoughtfully. He shot Remus a pointed look, which went unnoticed by Stella. "So, are you ready to be sorted into your house?" he asked.

"Yes," she gulped.

"I'm sure you will excel in whichever House you are placed in," he assured.

"That's what I said," piped in Remus with a wink to Stella.

Dumbledore put the hat on Stella and immediately it began to speak.

"Ahh," said the hat. "very interesting. Very interesting, indeed. I see great promise to show bravery and courage, but at the same time I see a mind that is very eager to learn. I feel Slytherin blood in this one. And… hmm, curiously enough, Gryffindor as well."

The three people in the room wondered what her bloodlines could possibly mean.

"Do you have any preferences?" the Hat asked its wearer.

"I suppose not," she said and then hesitated, remembering Remus' words . "Oh, well I guess not Slytherin…"

The Sorting Hat let out a scratchy laugh.

"Well then, considering that you seem to be a courageous one, you've got Gryffindor blood, and already an attitude predisposed to the rivalry of Slytherin, my choice is Gryffindor!"

Stella squealed with delight and received a hug from Remus.

"Congratulations," beamed Dumbledore as he placed the ancient Hat back in its spot on the shelf. "I'm sure Remus would be more than happy to explain the inner workings of being a Gryffindor. After all, he would know," he said with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"You're a Gryffindor, too?" she asked Remus.

"Indeed, I am and proud of it!" he exclaimed with a wink.

Remus and Stella left Dumbledore's office after bidding the old wizard a good night as she asked every imaginable question about being a Gryffindor.

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><p><strong>Reviews? Please?<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

Over the weekend, Remus took Stella shopping for school supplies. They could've had one of the house elves pick them up, but Dumbledore had thought it would be good for Stella to get out of the castle for a while ans Remus knew it would be good for bonding. The witch at the counter even asked if she was Remus' daughter. They both laughed it off. She was young enough to be his daughter and they were close despite having just met, but they looked nothing alike.

That night Remus thought about what the witch had said. He could definitely see a father-daughter relationship flourishing. He had no romantic interests in her and they were already past the acquaintance stage. So the next logical step would be friendship, which he hoped would then evolve into a paternal-filial relationship.

To be honest, Remus was ecstatic about the prospect. Ever since he contracted lycanthropy, he ruled out marriage and a family of his own. He could never in good conscience pass his condition onto an innocent child. Remembering the rejection from society and the suffering he went through every month, he decided he would never risk handing it down. When he was younger, getting married and having a family didn't really matter. But when he became friends with James, that began to change. James and Lily were so eager to get married and have a family that they started a burning desire in Remus also. It was one of those things that makes you want it more when you know you can't have it.

So, to curb the inability to have his own children, he decided to settle for teaching the children of others. After he received his teaching degree, which took quite a while because of his condition, he applied to the only place that would even consider letting a werewolf be an educator: Hogwarts. Dumbledore easily accepted him and gave him the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Now, Remus had the opportunity to really form a close relationship with someone in need of a parental figure. Sure, he had Harry to watch over, but Harry had his aunt and uncle, as unfriendly as they may have been, and the Weasleys.

Stella was different; Stella had no one.

Her foster parents hadn't even fostered a proper relationship with her. Obviously, she was pining for a parental figure, and Remus was more than happy to fill in the need.

Recalling his discussion with her earlier, he decided that a talk with Dumbledore was in order. Remus was willing to bet twenty galleons that the old wizard had all the answers to his questions. Getting up from his armchair by the fire, he went directly to the Headmaster's office. After entering into the space, cluttered with trinkets and baubles, he found Dumbledore sitting at his desk.

"Remus! To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?" the elder wizard greeted warmly.

"I just have a few questions," Remus replied, taking the seat across from the desk. "and I'm quite sure you have the answers."

"Lemon drop?" asked Dumbledore as he reached for one himself. Remus politely declined, his tastes more inclined toward Honeyduke's chocolate.

"So, what is it that you hope to gain from my knowledge?"

"I'm here to discuss Stella," he said directly. The Headmaster's brow furrowed slightly.

"What would you like to know?" he inquired as he leaned back into his chair.

"Everything."

That night Remus returned to his chambers more confused than when he had left them.

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><p><strong>Eh, I'm not so pleased with this chapter, but it was sorta necessary. Will update soon hopefully...<strong>


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